The present invention relates generally to firearm systems and, more specifically, to a device for adjusting the mutual position of two modules on a firearm system.
Throughout this document, the term xe2x80x9cfirearm systemxe2x80x9d comprises single- or multi-barreled firearms which can be additionally combined with an add-on device, such as an optical aiming device or even an additional firearm or barrel.
Further, the term xe2x80x9cmodulexe2x80x9d, in particular, may be understood to refer to a barrel or an aiming device, or the longitudinal axes of the same, as the case may be. The term also may, however, refer to any other desired component of a firearm system or the axis of the same, as the case may be.
In orienting one axis relative to another one, such as the sighting line of a diopter relative to the bore axis of a corresponding barrel, it has long been customary to use two threaded spindles such as, for example, a horizontal spindle and a vertical spindle, in order to effectuate the elevational adjustment and the side-to-side adjustment independently of one another. Such screw spindle devices can, depending on a corresponding dimensioning, also absorb considerable forces, such as in the case of the elevation- and side-to-side directing device of a gun. Such a system has, however, the corresponding disadvantage of requiring considerable space.
In many applications, such as, for example, in the case of attachable barrels, sufficient space to accommodate screw spindle devices may not be available. Such an attachable barrel is, as a rule, used for a small-caliber bullet cartridge and is used in the shot barrel of a combined weapon, such as a triple-barreled shotgun. In that case, the attachable barrel must be adjusted in such a manner that its point of meeting is in agreement with the holding point of the sight of the weapon which is shot on the bullet barrel of the same.
In the preceding example, the rear portion of the attachable barrel is supported radially in a clearance-free manner but is easily swivelable in the cartridge storage of the shot storage, and a ring which is placed at a distance from the internal wall of the shot storage is positioned on the front part of the attachable barrel. This ring has four radial threaded borings over its circumference, each displaced by 90xc2x0. The axes of the borings are typically oriented along the horizontal or the vertical. Headless screws which must, upon the shooting of the weapon, be rotated outwardly or inwardly in such a manner that the external ends of the headless screws are solidly supported on the internal wall of the shot barrel if the barrel has reached the relative position desired, are positioned in the threaded borings. This disadvantageously brings about, however, a line contact between the ends of the screws and the internal wall of the shot barrel and, in addition, it only does so over a slight portion of the external circumference. It is advantageous, however, that the adjustment of the attachable barrel in accordance with elevation and side is carried out separately and is, accordingly, relatively simple.
In addition, it is already known, from the case of older attachable barrels, to carry out their adjustment by means of two eccentric rings. In addition, the external diameter of at least one ring had to be adjusted to the internal diameter of the smooth bore barrel, which could possibly be avoided by means of tight spring elements. Shooting, however, was particularly difficult, since an adjustment in accordance with elevation and side was not possible but had, instead, to be carried out simultaneously along a curved line. For this reason, such constructions have been abandoned for a long time. A firearm with an attachable barrel which can, by means of an eccentric bearing shell, be rotated and displaced in the longitudinal direction of the barrel relative to the barrel accommodating it, is known from the publication DE 31 08 988 A1.
An attachable firearm for incorporation into the weapon barrel of an armored war vehicle, the desired target direction of which can be adjusted by means of two axially non-displaceable eccentric casings proceeding within one another, is additionally known from the publication EP 0 309 707 A2. The problem noted above, that a separate elevational and side-to-side adjustment is not possible, but must instead be carried out through the superpositioning of curved lines, is also present in the teachings of the above-referenced EPO publication. A similar construction with three eccentric rings is known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,300 A.
Furthermore, a coaxial firearm, in which the adjustment is carried out by means of two toothed eccentric rings, is known from the publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,299 A.
In addition, the article entitled xe2x80x9cHeckler and Koch OICWxe2x80x94Weapon for the Next Millenniumxe2x80x9d (published in German), in the xe2x80x9cDeutsche Waffen-Journalxe2x80x9d (DWJ) (German Weapons Journal), May 5, 1999, at page 672 et seq., published by the firm Journal-Verlag Schwend GmbH, describes a device for the adjustment of the mutual position of two barrels of a firearm system with two rotatable adjusting cams, through the rotation of which the meeting point positions are adjusted to one another.
Finally, a coaxial firearm, in which the gun barrel can be adjusted in two coordinates relative to the barrel of the gun, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,291 A. In the ""291 reference, the separate adjustment of the barrels relative to one another is possible.
Another more conventional approach may would be to choose the modern construction of the attachable barrel adjustment with four headless screws and to enlarge the bearing surface of the external ends of the screws by means of a supplemental shoe unit or the like in order to thus achieve the desired solidity. The solidity can, if applicable, also be further increased by using several sets of screws positioned in sequence one after the otherxe2x80x94by accepting, in any event, a distinctly increased expense for the adjustment.